NATIONAL Park planners have been slammed for being too slow dealing with applications.

Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA) receives around 630 planning and listed building applications each year.

But figures show that fewer than half – 42% – of all applications submitted during the second quarter of 2008/09 were dealt with within eight weeks, and only 33% of minor applications.

In comparison, the best performing authority in Wales processed 80% of all applications within eight weeks. The service last year brought in fees of £163,000, but cost £618,000 to run.

Among criticisms levelled at the SNPA in an independent review were:

Slow decision making

Delays caused by too much emphasis on irrelevant objections

Staff shortage

Slow response to voicemail messages

Inconsistency of decision making.

The consultant said the SNPA needed to form an action plan and tabled 40 recommendations for improvements.

The SNPA’s slowness was first highlighted by the Audit Commission in 2005.

The report said: “The poor performance on timeliness is due to a number of factors which combine to push determinations beyond the eight-week period.

“There is a recognised need that the speed of performance needs to improve.”

It said a performance target of determining a minimum of 60% of applications within eight weeks was achievable.

Evan Owen, a resident of Dyffryn Ardudwy, said he had experienced long delays in planning applications dealt with by the SNPA.

He said: “They are slow. They say they don’t have any resources. There’s a lot of frustration. They can’t come to a decision. These are the senior officers, not the planners on the ground.”

An SNPA spokeswoman said: “Snowdonia National Park Authority has not failed in reaching all of its planning application targets. Indeed, during 2008/09, the number of household planning applications determined within eight weeks was 63%. Planning applications for all other developments determined within eight weeks was 61.5%.

“We accept that there is a need to improve the speed of determining applications.

“While the speed of making decisions is not the fastest in Wales, what must be recognised is that the vast majority of our users are very satisfied and this is reflected in the results of our users’ survey. Speed of decision making is only one criterion for measuring the standard.”